How to Reduce Your Pot Belly with Exercise

If you stand up and look straight down and can’t see your toes, then you definitely have a pot belly.

A pot belly, known as abdominal obesity or central obesity in medical terms, occurs when excessive fat accumulates around the stomach and abdomen.

Your growing pot belly may make you self-conscious, as it becomes more difficult to fit into your clothes. More importantly, it is not at all good for your health. It can increase your risk of developing several diseases, from dementia to diabetes.

Here are some exercises and yoga poses that help reduce a pot belly.

1. Weight Training

Weight lifting, also known as strength or resistance exercises, helps a lot in reducing a pot belly. This type of exercise focuses on the use of resistance to induce muscular contractions.

According to a 2017 study by Harvard University and published in Obesity, the best way to shed the flab around your middle is to lift weights.

2. Chair Yoga Pose

Chair Pose, also known as Utkatasana, is another very effective exercise to deal with a pot belly.

This yoga pose helps strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles. It also works the muscles in your arms and legs, and keeps them toned and in proper shape.

3. Mountain Climbers

This simple exercise helps you lose weight effectively, especially the fat around your stomach. In fact, it is a full-body workout and provides complete abdominal and cardio training when done quickly.

The sit-ups, crunches, planks and other moves used in this exercise help strengthen and tone your muscles.

4. Standing Forward Bend Yoga Pose

Also known as Padahastasana, this yoga pose is also effective for reducing abdominal fat.

During this pose, complete compression of the abdomen occurs, which helps get rid of stubborn belly fat. It is also good for your muscle health.

5. Crunches

Crunches are also one of the best-known exercises for burning stomach fat very easily and quickly.

6. Bicycle Exercise

The bicycle exercise is a highly effective form of exercise to help reduce stubborn belly fat. It not only burns your stomach fat but also tightens your tummy muscles.